With states unveiling reopening phases and a couple of high-profile projects scheduled to hit theaters next month, Americans are weighing when exactly they can (and should) safely go back just as change to a pop-culture pastime seems inevitable.
“It's going to be an evolution, not a revolution, that happens in the way people consume movies in the theater,” says Comscore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian.
Audiences may have “amazing memories” of going to the movies, but “those days may be gone for good if we don't get rid of this virus or if another iteration of this virus happens,” says Jeff Bock, senior box-office analyst for Exhibitor Relations. “This one has scared people. And it was serious enough that it's going to change habits.
Because everyone is starved for human interaction, a return to movie theaters “will automatically feel like a big, communal win,” says Kate Erbland, deputy film editor for IndieWire. However, that’s not possible without also taking into account aspects like masks, socially-distanced seating arrangements and “simmering worry over touching things.”
The push in recent years for cushier, reclining seats and expanded concessions will now shift toward moviegoers’ health concerns as more states begin to open theaters: California, for example, is now allowing theaters to be opened at 25% capacity while cinemas are in Phase 4 of New York’s reopening., the largest movie theater chain in the U.S., says it plans to be fully open globally by July.
Bock thinks “personal preference” will be the status quo for the first couple months of reopening. “You want to take a risk or you don't, and that comes down to your personality, honestly.” Also important: world of mouth when it comes to cleanliness and following protocols. Bock points out one worry is an inconsistency among theaters when it comes to masks: “The No. 1 way to prevent that we know of is a mask.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Masks Help Stop The Spread Of Coronavirus, Studies Say—But Wearing Them Still A Political IssueArizona’s governor hasn’t made wearing masks mandatory even as new cases surge.
Read more »
Scientists try to keep coronavirus masks from being swallowed by culture warsUsing masks as an everyday accessory has not come quickly or easily for the nation. Almost from day one, masks have been pushing political buttons.
Read more »
France has millions of unsold masks after coronavirus crisisThe companies that helped France avoid a shortage of coronavirus-filtering face wear for daily use seek help unloading a surplus of 20 million masks.
Read more »
The Fabric Face Masks Our Editors and Writers Are Wearing'I’m isolating in a mask-happy household, so I’ve probably tried at least nine nonmedical masks by now'
Read more »
Trump adviser says rally attendees 'probably' should wear masksTop Trump economic adviser Larry Kudlow says people at President Trump's rally next week in Tulsa, Oklahoma, 'probably' should wear masks
Read more »